BP’s dispersants “usually used to handle spills of 100 barrels or less”

One unique issue now plaguing the Gulf is BP’s use of largely unstudied chemical dispersants to minimize the amount of oil reaching the shore, [Biological oceanographer at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Monty] Graham said.

The dispersants used by BP are preauthorized for the handling of oil spills, but they’re usually used to handle spills of 100 barrels or less, Graham said. ... “They’re using them in quantities that have never been imagined,” Graham said.